BY REGINA BENGCO

AROUND seven in 10 Metro Manilans (69 percent) said they will support legal protest actions like prayer rallies and demonstrations calling for the resignation of government officials linked to the NBN-ZTE scandal, the February 21-24 survey of Pulse Asia showed.

The survey, which involved 300 respondents from Metro Manila, also showed that six in 10 Metro Manilans (61 percent) believe there is a big possibility that the testimony of ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. could result in the downfall of the Arroyo administration.

However, only 16 percent are willing to join protest actions, with majority of them (61 percent) coming from the "masa" Class D, followed by the poorest Class E (42 percent). Willingness to join prayer rallies is most pronounced among those in Class ABC (24 percent).

Pulse Asia said the most often-cited reasons by Metro Manilans for not joining protest actions is they have more important things to do (26 percent), there is no genuine change whoever leads the government (26 percent), and the need to earn for their daily expenses (21 percent).

The third reason is a bigger concern for those in classes D and E than in Class ABC (26 percent to 27 percent versus 10 percent).

The other reasons cited were a good alternative leader should be presented to the people first, 7 percent; People Power fatigue, 6 percent; just wait for the May 2010 elections, 6 percent; and the leaders calling for the President’s resignation should themselves be credible, 3 percent.

The sentiment that there is a big possibility that Lozada’s testimony could result in the Arroyo administration’s downfall is more pronounced in Class ABC than in Classes D and E (72 percent versus 52 percent to 56 percent).

Only 8 percent said there is a small possibility or none at all that this would happen. Thirty percent are ambivalent on the matter.

Reacting to the survey, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye quoted the statement of the League of Cities of the Philippines that "Metro Manila is not the Philippines" and that they have different sentiments in the province.

"The protest moves may continue but we seriously doubt whether this will gather serious momentum," Bunye said, adding that the rally figures have been declining from Edsa 1 to the present.

This developed as the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2007 showed First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s net trust rating at a record low of -51, with only 13 percent of 1,200 respondents having much trust in him and 64 percent having little trust in the President’s husband.

SWS said it was Mr. Arroyo’s lowest net trust rating since his wife became president in January 2001. His only positive net trust rating was in January 2001, at +14 (39 percent much trust vs. 25 percent little trust).

SWS said public satisfaction with President Arroyo’s performance and public trust are "directly related" to each other.